


A swordsmith's legacy

by ClashKMS



Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/stay night & Related Fandoms, Fate/stay night (Visual Novel), Fate/stay night - All Media Types, Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (Anime 2014)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-08-16
Packaged: 2020-09-02 04:37:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 19,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20270128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClashKMS/pseuds/ClashKMS
Summary: Muramasa is going to perish inside Shirou Emiya's body. He want's someone to carry on his legacy, and who else is more worthy than his desendant? This is not a story about Shirou Emiya, but his counterpart, Shirou Muramasa, a true heroic spirit.





	1. The Origin

Author's notes: Hey Guys! It's ClashKMS here, and welcome to my first fanfiction! I have always enjoyed reading 'what if' stories for Fate/stay night, and I had a sudden idea that made me think 'Hey, I should try writing a story of my own!' so here I am now. Please forgive me for any grammatical errors I may make, and review your opinion on this fic. Enjoy!  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the fate franchise.  
I watched as the hellish surrounding around me began to convulse. The sheer vileness of this entire place made me seethe in anger, but I knew I couldn't do anything against this infernal world-a reality marble-with my own power. I calmly analyzed the situation before me. It is impossible to escape this reality marble normally, I know that, and because the Onri Edo Castle exists in the real world outside of the reality marble, it should technically have been immune to any attacks from within it. It is so perfect, yet so flawed. It was a diabolical apocalypse, brought by the holy grail itself. This…this is what that man, Amakusa Shirou, calls his wish? This so-called rebellion against all of humanity? A beautiful sin at the end of the world?  
'No, I can't let this pass!'  
I felt a faint, tugging sensation within my soul, that was furiously demanding the destruction of this hell,  
guiding me like instinct to-SAVE EVERYONE-rescue every single life in my sight.  
'I can't repeat the same mistake again!'  
I'm a fool.  
I should be doing everything that I can to stop this from happening, not hesitating like a coward that  
puts his own safety before-SAVE EVERYONE-the many.  
In fact, I do know a way. It is certain way of dealing with this kind of evil, but it is also certain to bring me death when used. Even so-SAVE EVERYONE-I will use it if it will put an end this world.  
'Damn, there's no point in hesitating now-!'  
I drew the blade, the sword from the past when the gods ruled. The demonic sword I had-CREATED OVER A THOUSAND BLADES--forged-the Tsumugari Muramasa.  
It was the blade I had been seeking for my entire life, a blade capable of cutting the inevitability, fate and destiny. It was a blade meant for gods, therefore, I will perish once I take a swing. I needed to put my all into a single swing, to put all my skill, experience, and understanding to-THE BONE OF MY SWORD--the sword to power my final strike.  
It was strange, ever since I was summoned in the body of-EMIYA-Shirou, my understanding of swords has increased exponentially, and I was confident about my skills as a swordsmith since I had reached the territory of God. The boy must have been a prodigy of the blade, to trump over a man that had been forging swords for the entirety of his life.  
I took the demonic sword and filled it with human will, readying my final swing. I began to recite my thoughts to the crazed man before me.  
"Not the invincible swordsman Jūbei,  
neither the highly praised master of espionage Hanzō,  
nor the renowned Onmyouji Abe no Seimei.  
More than anything, just a swordsmith.  
But it is your unpreparedness that spelt your defeat."  
I told the servant, confusing him somewhat. I continued.  
"Once seeking for the ultimate blade.  
A blade of steel cutting no flesh, nor bones and neither life.  
What I seek for is the clearance of resentment.  
The cutting of bonds, fate and destiny."  
I explained my struggle, my search, my purpose.  
"That is, to free oneself from Karma."  
My wish and ambition.  
"Upon-WAITING FOR-one's arrival are countless tools.  
Carved-CREATED-over a thousand blades, forming a pile of swords.  
This is the place where all paths cross.  
This is the place where all desires flow.  
This is the place where all deaths await  
My whole life was for this single swing."  
The man's eyes widened, beginning to grow certainty of is doom.  
"The-BONE OF MY SWORD-heart of the blade is right here!  
Take this, this is my Tsumugari Muramasa!"  
I yell the words out, informing the man of his downfall.  
The sword struck true, cleaving trough everything in its path. It cut through the landscape itself. The blade was cutting through the very concept of this hell which is the reality marble of Amakuza Shirou himself, so if my theory is correct, it should destroy the man as well. But I can't confirm that kill, since my body is rapidly deteriorating because I used a sword meant for gods.  
'Ah…At least I fulfilled my dream, even if it was completed after my death….'  
I had-NO REGRETS, THIS IS THE ONLY PATH-no resentment, this was the only way I could have been satisfied with myself, a true ending fitting for a swordsmith as myself.  
'Although, I feel so empty…'  
Such was a life of a hollow man as myself. I had spent my entire life seeking this blade, pouring all my soul into my life's ambition. I devoted so many years, to the point I had forgotten the faces of my son and grandchildren.  
I didn't want to die yet. I wanted my legacy to carry on, to get another chance in life. I delved into my soul, where another soul that wasn't mine had intertwined with so naturally.  
The soul of Emiya Shirou.  
Such was the name of the boy that supposedly had a similar body, mind, and way of living to me. So similar, that it had been possible to summon me in that boy's vessel. I was actually intrigued about the supposed clone of me, because my extreme way of living was uncommon, to say the least. Also he indeed had a body that looked so much like my own, that I had been wondering if he could have been a descendant of mine.  
I was a servant, yet I had no summoner. I was brought forth by the counter force itself, therefore, it was a true coincidence that I was summoned successfully. When I was summoned into this world with the body of Emiya Shirou, the merging of our memories was a clash of dissonant cacophony. I had most of my memories intact, but since I was the heroic spirit that was supposed to take over the human being's body, the amount of memories of Emiya Shirou that I got in compensation was miniscule. All I remembered of the life he had lived was fuzzy, unimportant parts and pieces.  
But there was one part-no, thing that was clear as a running stream in his memories.  
A golden sword.  
A sword of fine craftsmanship, that much I could see. It was made in an intricate, foreign style, but I failed to guess why it held such a dear place in his heart.  
I decided to confront the boy, test him, and decide if he was truly worthy of carrying the name Muramasa.  
I reached into the dormant boy's soul, then I entered.  
My immediate thought was:  
Swords.  
A seemingly endless, barren field, littered with countless amount of swords. It was a place of enlightenment for a swordsmith such as myself. The landscape was one with all the swords that were placed in it, and such was the soul of Shirou Emiya, a boy with a mindscape-reality marble-constructed entirely with swords. It was truly breathtaking, for it was the soul of someone who had clearly mastered the very concept of swords.  
I could see myself….? No, the boy Emiya Shirou atop on a hill of swords, clearly waiting for someone.  
"Hmph, would you look at that. A boy with a land of swords as his very soul. And I thought I couldn't get any better as a swordsmith."  
"Pleasure to meet you, Sengo Muramasa-san, or should I say, great ancestor."  
The boy bowed, showing proper respect and manners. Such a humble and talented boy, I liked him.  
"Well, as you can see, I am about to disappear real fast, so we don't have a lot of time to talk."  
"Wait, I? I thought we were the same entwined being for now, with me being your vessel and all."  
I chuckled.  
"Well, that would normally be the case, but the sword I used was 'A blade of steel cutting no flesh, nor bones and neither life.' As you clearly know."  
The boy let out a good-natured laugh at that, and we both grinned at each other. I had a feeling he could truly understand me and my swords, the closest being to a friend that I could get. He certainly had the potential to carry on my legacy, to become a man that I could be proud of.  
"Then, what is happening to our state of being as a pseudo servant?"  
"Well, your question will be decided by the outcome of a duel."  
The boy blinked.  
"I'm sorry?"  
"You heard me, Shirou Emiya. A duel between swordsmiths. We shall duel to our limits, no mercy allowed. Fight me with your pride as a swordsmith, boy, and let us see if you're worthy to bear the name Muramasa."  
I called forth a nameless sword, a blade of excellent quality, but with no name or magic to it.  
The boy, Shirou Emiya, looked at me in silent understanding, both to my will to fight and my reason, then picked up a seemingly undistinguished sword as well, taking a fighting stance.  
We appraised each other's stance for a moment, then simultaneously, took off several meters in an instance. We crossed blades, taking in each other's strength eye to eye. I knew that I wasn't summoned for my skills as a master swordsman or anything like that. But I was formidable in the art of blades to say the very least. I was the dominant, older, powerful spirit between the two of us that made up this heroic spirit, so in a spiritual plane like this, I was certain to be the victor.  
I saw through every trick, every skill, every technique he executed, his swordsmanship being trumped by mine.  
I was beating him so thoroughly, every strike he made was futile and certainly bring him pain.  
Yet, he never became desperate.  
His strikes never became reckless or haphazard. He kept slashing at me with stubborn determination, never once resorting to utilizing his reality marble or magecraft. He was seemingly resolved to spar with me in a fair and honest way. Yet, there was fire in his eyes. Just because he was fighting fairly didn't mean he was holding back. He was using his strength to the fullest power, determined to defeat me with his warrior's resolve.  
'Well, shoot. I was the man wanting to test him, yet he is a better man then I could ever be.'  
I thought as my respect for the boy-no, the man increased a thousand fold. Then, I went all out and made a horizontal swing carrying all my momentum, similar to the move I used while executing the Tsumugari Muramasa.  
The sword in Shirou Emiya's hands was flung out of his grasp.  
"Well, it is my defeat, Muramasa-san."  
He raised his arms up, signaling his defeat.  
"I will gladly take the aftereffect with my- "  
"Don't be ridiculous boy."  
I stopped him mid-sentence, exasperated at the selflessness that had reached the point of stupidity.  
"This duel's outcome was decided from the start. You had decided to fight fairly, and I am a heroic spirit that cannot be beaten in a fair duel with a human like you. This duel's purpose was to test your integrity, mindset, and morals to see if you were worthy enough to inherit my powers, and you have exceeded my expectations."  
I felt my being slowly being erased, yet I smiled contently, knowing my soul was left in good hands.  
"I have chosen to take the brunt of the aftermath and sacrifice my own soul instead of taking down the two of us. Now, don't say anything, because it's non-reversible, and it is the best possible scenario for us. Even if my mind is destroyed, a part of my soul will live on with you."  
I summoned three swords, the swords that would be the most helpful to this boy-no, young man-the most. The swords that would give the right lessons and powers to guide Emiya Shirou to the right path.  
The Juuchi Yosamu (The '10,000 cold nights'), Myoujingiri Muramasa ('Cutting gods and demons Muramasa'), and most importantly, the Tsumugari Muramasa.  
"Take my swords, learn from them, grow from them, and live on, Shirou Emiya. I do not know the path you will set foot on, but I sure know it is going to be a heroic one."  
I stabbed the three swords on the land of unlimited blades. I looked at him in his eyes.  
"Take my name, Muramasa, and become a true heroic spirit I could never be. Learn from my regrets, my faults, my mistakes, to live on a better life than I.  
Just before I was entirely gone, I heard his faint whisper.  
"I will take your legacy with honor, and be a hero that you can be proud of…ancestor."  
I let out a true smile, and disappeared without a trace, satisfied that I have left the world with my last wish fulfilled.  
That was how the being known as Muramasa Shirou was brought into this universe.  
-Next chapter preview:  
"I ask of you, are you my master?"  
"I should be the one to ask you that Emiya-kun, how does your servant know my name and my servant's class?"  
"I should prepare you to fight against the greatest enemy you are going to face in this war, yourself."  
Next chapter, Holy Grail War arc, chapter 1!  
Author's Notes: So, how was it? Feel free to let me know if you have suggestions or criticisms. Hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, smash that Fav button! This is ClashKMS, signing out.


	2. The Hero's summoning

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the fate franchise.   
-CLANG-  
Red-hot sparks fly in all directions. I hammer at a rod of enhanced steel with vigorous blows, the resulting vibration resonating throughout the hill of swords.  
-CLANG-  
I progressed with smooth, yet forceful blows at the rod, strengthening the steel with just the right amount of tempering. I shaped the steel, forming the frame of a katana.  
-CLANG-  
After many elegant strokes of a hammer, it was given the famed Muramasa-style-edge, the renowned exquisite sharpness which was of outstanding quality. Satisfied, I admired my sword, testing it out with a quick, fluid swing, and stabbed it on the ground.  
I sighed.  
"I really need to get another hobby."  
It was another day for Shirou Muramasa. And another 10,000 or so blades forged inside my reality marble. I had been given another chance at life, and I had lived on to take the path of being a hero. I had taken on the persona of Chaldea's man, perfected my swordsmanship and swordsmithing skills over the years, and became a hero by the will of the counter force. I had seemingly achieved enough heroic deeds to become a true heroic spirit. After I died, my legend was carried over and added to Sengo Muramasa's lacking legend, and my soul was carried over to the Throne of Heroes. I had stayed there for a while, with the purpose of gaining knowledge of existing heroic spirits. Then, I realized that I had nothing more to do, and since I was in a plane of existence where the concept of time was fluid, I might as well have been in there for centuries. So I ultimately decided to stay inside my reality marble, and delve into my ability to forge swords.  
From then on, I don't know how much time I had spent inside of my reality marble, putting all of my soul into forging swords. My body had hosted Sengo Muramasa's spirit for a while, so I had already attained the skill of a swordsmith that had been confident that he reached the territory of god, and spent all of his life, passion and effort into the art of making blades. I was already a living sword 'incarnation' with my origin and element both being the concept of 'sword', but the experience of fusing with Sengo Muramasa made me so honed into blades, that I could sympathize with blades like no other. I was positive that my skills as a swordsmith was now nigh-unparalleled. I had reached the pinnacle that a mere human could achieve with sword empathy.  
Then came the realization. I could give myself physical form and train my body which the effort and progress would be kept with me, since I had a reality marble to send myself in. Technically, my Unlimited Blade Works is a method of rewriting reality, so it is another plane of existence. So, since 'time' was a concept which exists within UBW, I could train myself for an indefinite amount of time. It was an extreme advantage against every other heroic spirits, since from their point of view, they are given no tangible time at the throne of heroes, and are constantly being summoned one time after another.  
I had trained intensely, forging a countless amount of blades, pouring my soul into every each and one of them, making blades of finest quality. I also trained in swordsmanship, blending every sword-style that I had ever seen into a practical, efficient style. Although, I had incorporated Miyamoto Musashi's style the most, since she used dual wielding (like EMIYA), and katanas (like Sengo Muramasa). Even though I was dormant in my body when I saw her for the first time, I had subconsciously traced her swords and fighting style, because she was an admirable and talented swordswoman. My training regimen consisted of shooting swords at myself at the highest speed while I deflected them (useful for building up accuracy and preparing for a conflict with Gilgamesh), practicing slashing at swords and imaginary enemies (sounds childish, I know, but I have a vivid imagination, thanks to tracing), and meditating.  
I was about to pick up a sword and practice fighting an imaginary Gilgamesh when I felt a faint tugging on my soul.  
'What's going on?'  
I immediately tensed, dreading as I felt the force getting stronger. Then I realized,  
'Ah, this must be what it feels like being summoned'  
I mentally noted. I was actually exited at getting summoned as a servant for the first time since I became a heroic spirit.  
'Well, here we go!'  
I flinched as a blast of light engulfed me, transporting my existence to the real world once more.

The running blood-red light. It was a trust like lightning.  
The spearhead moves straight for my heart. It will spill blood in the next second. Trying to dodge it would be useless.  
I know this feeling. The feeling of metal running into me, the taste of blood coming out of my throat, the sense of the world around me disappearing…  
I felt all of it earlier.  
…And I have to experience it again? Really?  
I don't understand. Why do I have to go through this?  
This is bullshit.  
I can't accept this. I can't just die here meaninglessly.  
I was saved. I was saved, so I can't die so easily.  
I have to live and fulfil my obligations, my promise to Kiritsugu. If I die, I can't do that.  
But the lance will pierce me. The spearhead will cut into my flesh and pierce my heart, easily and mercilessly.  
It pisses me off. It's ridiculous to kill someone that easily. It's ridiculous for me to die so easily. Dying twice in one day, that's ridiculous as well. Damn, everything is so screwed up that I can't contain it all and…  
I look up to the blue spearman with hated, loathing, and determination in my eyes.  
"Damn it, I…Won't be killed meaninglessly...BY SOMEONE LIKE YOU!"  
A flash of light blinds me, and I close my eyes out of sheer instinct.  
"Huh?"  
Truly, it…  
"What…!?"  
Appeared as a miracle.  
In a flash of light, it appears from behind me. My mind stops. All I know is that the figure who appeared is a man. The moment it appears, it repels the lance thrust at my heart and steps up to the enemy without hesitation.  
"…Can it be!? The seventh Servant…!?"  
The blue spearman exclaims in surprise. He readies the deflected lance, and the man wreathed in red swings the katana that he's holding. Sparks fly twice. A strong swing. The lancer hesitates, receiving a heavy blow from the swordsman.  
"Kuh!"  
He must have realized he is at a disadvantage, as he jumps out of the shed with bestial speed. While keeping his guard up against the lancer, my savior quietly turns to my direction.  
"…?!"  
I gasp, then I am rendered speechless. Not because I'm confused by the sudden turn of events. I'm at a loss of word because this man's face…  
Looks exactly like mine.  
He is bare-chested, with some kind of red cloth covering his left arm entirely, and a white cape hanging off his right shoulder. He wielded a silver katana in one hand, while holding the cape in another. He looked like a hero that came out a legendary tale.  
The man quietly mutters.  
"Wow, I certainly didn't expect this kind of turnout on my first summon, talk about déjà vu…" He looks at me in the eyes, and I am once again bewildered by this man's resemblance to me. "I, servant Saber, have come forth in response to your summons. I ask of you, are you my master?"  
"Huh? Mas…ter…?"  
I only repeat his words. I don't know who he is or what he is talking about. All I know is that this man is the same kind of being as the lancer outside.  
He sighs. "Listen, Shirou," How does he know my name? "We will have time to talk things out later, but it looks like I will have to take care of Lancer over there first." The man took a stance, and vanished in a red blur. He had moved so fast that my eyes couldn't even perceive it. Before I knew it, my front yard was filled with red, silver flashes and the sound of steel clashing.  
I was so confused by the current situation, that all I could do was watch as the two forces collide.

'Wow, getting summoned by your past self is pretty unnerving.'  
I contemplated, while executing a couple of thrusts and slashes. The blue lancer in front of me was trying hard to keep up with my quick and agile blows. I knew about Lancer's noble phantasm already, Gae Bolg, the Barbed Spear that Pierces with Death, and I didn't want to confront that kind of fatal conflict this early in the war. So, I didn't make the mistake of relying on strong, heavy swings (Like my Saber did) and performed rapid, swift slashes, giving my opponent no time to take the initiative.  
"Damn you…!" Lancer growls.  
I gave him quick and precise strikes targeting one direction at a time, exploiting the disadvantages of a spear. I swung with wide arcs, aiming to slash consecutively with flowing motion and great power behind each strike. He deflected a few slashes, then held his spear out in a defensive stance, spinning it at an impossible speed. I caught the edge of the spear with the flat of my blade, then pressed the weapon down. I follow with three successive strikes. The first, hitting the blunt side of the spear from down to up, intent on making his stance falter. The second, hitting his lance on the edge from left to right, the purpose being disarming him, but his grip on his spear doesn't waver even as his arm is thrown in a compromising position. The final strike was a diagonal strike aimed at his left shoulder, but he blocks it at the last second.  
He tries to counterattack by thrusting his spear. I rebuff it with two consecutive swings, up and down, giving it a momentum that left the spear awkward position to continue the medley of thrusts. I take a moment to adjust my stance, obtaining an atmosphere of calm tranquility and balance. My blade is faintly tinged with red, letting out an aura coming from demonic sharpness. Then I strike. I slash and thrust my katana with renewed strength and agility. My katana slices with its absolute, cutting edge. It slashes leave a trail in the air with sinuous, tidal movement, seemingly cutting through the very air itself. I aim and slash at nine targets with rapid torrent and swirling vigor, executing a technique that resembles nine lives blade works, only reduced in power and not quite achieving supersonic speed to make it more efficient for continuous battle. Lancer tries to defend the heavy onslaught of blows in a futile attempt, but his endeavor was in vain as he was inflicted with fatal attacks in various directions. His body is covered in cuts and gashes, and his spear isn't in a better condition. With each slash, Gae Bolg was nearly severed by the malevolent sharpness of my blade. The fact that the spear is still in one piece was evidence of Lancer's extreme control and skill with the spear.  
I continue the rain of slashes, while he twists his body to avoid and swings the blunt end of the spear in a smooth, flowing motion. I catch the blow with my katana's pommel in a deadlock, and we both jump backwards from the standstill position. In a spilt second, to my dismay, he leaps up and prepares his noble phantasm.  
"Gae…" The blood-red spear was cloaked in an ominous, blood thirsty aura ashe flexed his arm in a throwing position.  
I will have to stop him right here, using every technique necessary. I set the soles of my feet firmly on the earth, channeling strength and mana coursing throughout my body.  
"BOL-" I swing at the spear with all my might, seemingly teleporting twelve feet up in the air, air makes him lose his propulsion with the barbed spear. The Hound of Ireland loses his balance, and I twist 360 degrees, using the momentum of my powered swing to slash another one, sending him crashing to the ground. I let my killing intent rush for a second, and I aim at his unprotected neck-

I hurtled down the air, bewildered by the red swordsman's show of strength. I collided with the hard earth, and was stunned enough to lower my guard. Before I could ready my spear again, I felt the red swordsman's killing intent flare like a burning flame, and saw the silver blur heading for his neck. I knew by instinct that I couldn't do anything to stop the katana from slicing my head off.  
'Well, this sucks. But at least I got to have one good fight before I died again…' I thought, and I waited for the impact.  
But the blow never came.  
I looked up, unbelievingly, to see Saber dismissing his blade.  
"Let's call it a night here, Lancer." He suggested.  
I gaped at him in amazement, not able to understand his motives.  
"Why?" was all I could gasp out.  
"My sword would certainly be tainted, and my pride as a swordsman will never allow me to kill a man in an unfair fight." He took a brief glance at my direction. "You are holding back, am I right?"  
I double-taked in surprise, I knew that he was skilled from our fight, but to figure that out while holding back, and to hold such pride in his blade…  
I grinned ferociously.  
"Damn, I'm really starting to like you." I pointed my lance at him. "Very well, let us postpone this fight to a later date when I am no longer obliged to use any less than my power to the fullest extent. I will surely look forward to it, Saber." I grinned at him one last time to show my high regard for him, and turned around to return to my master, but I noticed an anomaly within the premise.  
"Tch, the master of Archer again?"  
I started toward the enemy, to eliminate her quickly as possible.

"Tch, the master of Archer again?"  
My eyes immediately flew to the front gate. Sure enough, there was Tousaka, mouth agape and eyes wide open.  
'Dammit! How could I forget about her?' I mentally berated myself for being so absorbed in the fight to notice her presence. Lancer was already dashing toward Tousaka, killing intent flooding out.  
'I can't let her die now!' I knew what I had to do.  
I started toward Tousaka, to protect her as quickly as possible.

I couldn't comprehend what was going on in front of my eyes right now. Emiya-kun, the very same one I resurrected just an hour ago, was fought lancer with a katana with servant-level speed, and won. He showed off an impressive amount of prowess with a sword, and-seriously-gave mercy to a servant.  
I just stood there, completely dumbfounded and unable to move, when lancer suddenly turned to me.  
"Tch, the master of Archer again?"  
He grumbled, pointed his lance at me, and thrusted his demonic lance at me with superhuman speed, aiming to kill.  
I couldn't do anything. All I could do was close my eyes and feel the warm and comforting embrace of death-  
Wait. Warm and comforting?  
I cautiously opened my eyes and looked up, only to see Emiya-kun, confronting the blood-red spear with his silver katana into a complete standstill. He had held me close to him in a protective and gentle stance, embracing me with one arm close to his warm, sturdy frame. My head was resting against his broad, defined chest, my body pressed onto his hard, chiseled abs-  
And I felt my face explode in red. My heart was beating faster, my eyes were swirling, my face was blushing in an undignified manner-  
Emiya-kun's demined eyes were fixed on the blue lancer.  
"I won't let you harm her, lancer."  
Emiya-kun spoke out in a suave, manly voice-no, no, no! I will not think of him that way!  
I was suddenly very aware the position I was in, and felt my heart beating a thousand time faster than it already was.  
As if speaking from a faraway space, I faintly registered lancer complaining,  
"Fine, I got a lot of questions to ask right now, but let's just wait for our rematch, eh?"  
Then, he proceeded to jump up, and get away at an impressive speed.  
I took in all this information in the back of my mind, since I was more occupied by someone that was in front of me.  
Someone, who was still hugging me close even though the threat was long gone.  
"Gggh!" I let out a flustered hiss at last and tried to push him out of the way.  
"Hmm? O-oh, sorry Tousaka! I didn't realize-"  
He started to apologize, but suddenly he paused to block a white falchion thrown at his face. He swung his katana with blinding speed, cutting the projectile cleanly in half.  
"Wow, trigger-happy much, Archer?" He lazily said with his posture relaxed, as if a sword flying to his face was no big deal.  
"A-a-archer, what do you think you're doing?"  
We both turned to the culprit. I was trying to conceal my disorganized mental state, but my outburst still came out in stutters. I was so confused by the recent events, and I needed to recollect my thoughts.  
"Well, Rin, I saw an enemy servant holding you while you were in a completely position. Is it not the servant's duty to protect their masters?" Archer raised his eyebrows at me, and I realized that his argument made complete sense. Emiya-kun, no, the being in front of me was obviously a servant by his inhuman abilities, no matter how it looked and acted like a certain red-haired boy I was familiar with.  
But then, how do I explain his desire to protect me, and his knowledge of my name? I asked myself. While turning more embarrassed that he had yet to let go of me in his embrace, and even more at the fact that I was getting too comfortable in this situation.  
Archer's demeanor toward the servant suddenly turned even more aggressive than it already was.  
"Get, away, from her. NOW!" Archer furiously demanded. He summoned two black-and-white falchions, jumped up in the air, and bolted toward the red swordsman, both blades flashing. I almost felt bad for the servant with the katana. He still had one arm around me, leaving him in an awkward position to defend himself. He must have been tired from his last fight with Lancer, and Archer had the advantage of higher ground.  
I didn't even see him move.  
The man holding me suddenly disappeared in a gust of wind, leaving a trail of dust at his wake. Archer's blades were destroyed simultaneously in a shower of silver flashes, He himself being violently thrown back by the sheer force of the blows, despite not getting hit by any of the strikes. I was completely shocked by the amount of strength this servant just showed off.  
The Emiya-look-alike was suddenly in front of me, holding his weapon ready in a defensive stance. He relaxed after looking at what happened to Archer.  
"Geez, Archer. You should know by now that I have no intention of harming your precious master." He smirked. It was the same goddamn smirk that Archer had, for Christ's sake! "Let's just talk it out, and take some time to let both of our masters adjust to the current situation, shall we?" He gestured to the gate. I looked toward the gate just to see…  
The real Emiya-kun, walking out of the estate with a troubled expression on his face.  
Our eyes met, and we went into a higher state of confusion, my mind not being able to take in all this information at once.  
I snapped out of my trance as a hand tenderly touched my shoulder. I turned around to see the now-assumed-to-be Emiya-kun's servant gently smiled at me.  
"Well, come on in." He leaned close to whisper close to my ear. "And tell your Archer to mind his manners." I felt my face grow warm again due to the close proximity, as he turned to his master. "Master, you do not mind her joining us, do you?"  
That seemed to make Emiya-kun snap out of it as well. "Huh? W-well, sure, I don't mind." Emiya-kun opened the door and signaled for us to enter his house.  
I took a deep breath. It was certainly going to be a long night.

'Well, this is definitely awkward.' I thought as the girl in front of me glared at me suspiciously. We were sitting across each other around my table, her with a white-haired tanned man beside her, me with the red-haired savior beside me. I literally had no idea what was going on.  
"Umm…" I started to talk. "Can you tell me what exactly is going on, Tousaka?"  
Her glare on me intensified, as she started to pepper me with questions.  
"I should be the one to ask you that Emiya-kun, how does your servant know my name and my servant's class? What was his intention for saving me? Were you intentionally hiding your status as a mage to participate in this Holy Grail War?"  
I cringed at the amount of baffling questions she threw at me. Servant? Class? Holy Grail War?  
"I literally cannot answer any of those questions. What is a servant? And participating in a war? I have no idea what you're talking about!" I tried to console the distressed girl, while being confused even further.  
She blankly looked at me with shock. "Are you serious?" Her expression became vacant as she saw the obvious obliviousness on my face. "He seriously summoned a saber my mistake, a no-name magus that didn't even know about the Holy Grail War, and a downright powerful one at that…" She muttered darkly, an ominous aura surrounding her form. She looks like she's about to blow, and I begin to sweat nervously. However, she composes herself, once again returning to the icy-cold demeanor.  
"Emiya-kun, just how much do you know about the situation you got yourself into?" She smiles.  
I straighten my back, feeling a premonition of impending doom. That smile…chilled me to the bone. It was the kind of smile that would make a grown man wet his pants.  
"Rin, stop torturing the poor boy, will you? It's obvious that he doesn't know the first thing about being a magus. You've got to explain everything, and I mean everything about the Holy Grail War" My now-proclaimed servant comes to my aid, and Tousaka's glare focuses on him. Before she gets a chance to speak, he interrupts. "Wait, I know you have questions for me too, but enlighten my master comes first, don't you think?"  
Tousaka huffs indignantly. "Hmmph! Fine, but you better have answers when I'm done with him." She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. "So, Emiya-kun, the Holy Grail War is a competition between seven mages, called the masters, and seven servants that are summoned to fight for their master. You became a participant unknowingly when you 'accidentally' summoned your servant, thus, you became one of the masters in this war. The servants and masters fight against each other, until only one master-servant pair is left. They are proclaimed the winners, and they both get one wish each by the Holy Grail." She explained in rapid fire speed.  
That was one hell of an info dump. While I tried to process all the information I've been given, she turned to my servant. "Now explain yourself, Saber, what exactly-" "Wait, Tousaka!" I interrupted. "What do you mean by 'until only one pair is left'? Are you telling me that I have to kill people to take part in this war?" She looked rather cross as she answered.  
"Well, yes, Emiya-kun, that's what usually happens in a war, if you didn't already know."  
Those nonchalant words immediately made me rigid.  
"Rin…does that mean…that you've killed before?" I asked her, dead serious.  
Tousaka flinched, surprised by my sudden change of attitude.  
"W-what? No! Of course not! And there are other ways to defeat other masters, you know? Once a servant is destroyed, the master is considered to be eliminated. That's what generally happens anyway. Killing the master is the optimal choice, but a servant is bound to be extremely protective of its master, so it usually ends up as a battle of servants." She put her right hand on her hip and pointed diagonally up, making some kind of lecturing pose. "If the master is defeated, the servant will perish as well, but the servant's health does not affect the master in any way. The servants are heroic spirits manifested into our world to use as a method of obtaining the Holy Grail, and they are extremely tough and nearly impossible to kill by normal means, as you've already saw. So you don't have to worry about killing them, since you can't. If you're going to worry about ethics, then you can just leave things to your servant. He will try his best to protect you and ensure your victory."  
She raises an eyebrow at me. "Is that all for now?"  
I gulp. "Yes."  
She sighs. "Good, I'll take you to Kotomine's church later, so if you have any more questions, feel free to ask him."  
She immediately focuses on my servant next. "Now, Saber, will you answer some questions I have for you?" She smiles that smile again, dropping the temperature in the room significantly.  
My servant seems unperturbed by this however, and he flashes the same smile back at her. "Maybe, maybe not, master of archer. But I have one condition." He raises one finger up dramatically. "I propose an alliance for this Grail War. Should you accept, I shall answer all of your questions, along with some additional, useful information." He turns to me. "Do you mind teaming up with her, master? Surely, you wouldn't want to become enemies with the beauty in front of you, right?"  
I nod, while Tousaka visibly blushes. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind, Saber."  
Tousaka grows silent. I don't know the degree of seriousness of the offer my servant made, but it seems to be a weighty decision. While she is still contemplating, her servant scoffs.  
"Rin, I can't believe you're actually be considering this. An alliance with a master who is a complete novice, and one you don't even know well. It is an absurd proposal. Let's get out of here, master. We have wasted enough time."  
My servant scoffs as well.  
"I assure my master is the least possible person that will betray someone. I stand for his absolute sense of righteousness and ethics. Also, I will more than make up for my master's shortcomings with providing firepower. I validate my skills with my victory against Lancer. Remind me how well you did, Archer?"  
The tanned man doesn't seem shaken by the insinuated insult, and retaliates calmly.  
"And how exactly would you stand for your master's ethics? It seems that you were summoned only recently."  
"That is a question I will answer if your master accepts my deal, Archer." Saber looks at Tousaka. "Well? Have you decided yet, master of archer?"  
Tousaka looks conflicted, and scrutinizes my servant, as if scanning for lies. This moment continues for about a minutes, and the silence is broken with her answer.  
"…Very well, I accept your offer. Saber." Archer looks unhappy with her decision but doesn't actively object. "Now tell us everything about you."  
My servant looks pleasantly surprised. "Wow, ain't that a direct approach? Alright, settle down kids, because this is going to be a hell of a story."

"…and that's the gist of what happened."  
I gave them a basic summary of my life, from the 5th Holy Grail war, the encounter with Zelretch, being summoned by the counter force as Sengo Muramasa's vessel, inheriting Muramasa's powers, my journey in becoming a heroic spirit, and finally, being summoned. None of them dared to interrupt.  
Their reactions were priceless.  
First of all, Shirou. He was absolutely dumbfounded when I told him I was a future version of himself. He listened intently to all of my tales, and looked beyond ecstatic when I told him that I eventually became a hero of justice.  
Second, Rin. She seemed dumbfounded as well at first, but for different reasons than Shirou. Having knowledge of the fact that summoning spirits from the future was possible, she was more confused by the fact that Shirou Emiya was able to become a heroic spirit in the first place. Then she became appalled by the tale of my growth as a magus during the Grail War, then became utterly stunned by the part where I met Zelretch, then looked resigned throughout the rest of the tale, being astonished by the absurdity of my life.  
Last, but definitely not least, Archer.  
His reaction was absolutely hilarious.   
I intentionally left out the fact that he was the Counter Guardian EMIYA, because, well, reasons. I felt that that information was his to give out, not mine.  
Archer was indifferent about the fact that I was a heroic spirit version of Shirou Emiya, just showing a hint of surprise. He looked at me questioningly at the part where Zelretch fused me with all of my alternate selves, no doubt wondering if a part of him got absorbed by me as well. When I started explaining the encounter with Muramasa, thing got interesting. At first, his face betrayed no emotion. Then his eye's began to twitch at the part where Muramasa gave me his powers, and his fists were clenched very tightly. Near the part where I ascended into a heroic spirit, his entire form began shaking, probably ranting about the unfairness of it all internally. When Rin looked at him strangely, he immediately composed himself, but I could still sense the pure envy coming from him.  
Their reactions aside, I left out a lot of things, such as my origin and element, Unlimited Blade Works, the full extent of the powers I got from Muramasa, et cetera. I only gave them the necessary facts, just enough to appease them, but not divulging them to all my secrets and trump cards.  
"Well, what do you think?" I asked to my audience.  
The result of my revelation was equivalent to dropping a flash bang grenade in the living room. They were all deathly still, trying to cope with the massive information dump I have dropped on them.  
"So…Emiya-kun…that was quite a disclosure…" Rin was the first to speak.  
"Rin, to avoid confusion with my master, you should probably refer to me as Muramasa, or Saber, in public." I was quite impressed at her mental fortitude. She had already returned to her normal attitude, all things considered, while the two of the Shirou Emiyas in the room were still contemplating, entirely focused on themselves.  
She smiled the 'Tousaka-death-smile' at me again, full-force. "Alright, Muramasa-kun, I have even more questions for you now, so would you care to expla-" I held up a hand to silence her.  
Damn, I take that back. I wasn't impressed by her mental fortitude; I was horrified by it. She had mettle of the highest caliber, in all aspects except for her tsundere tendencies. I have to exploit that little weak point now!  
"Rin," I smile in the most radiant way I could manage, while putting a hand on her shoulder. Physical contact was one of her weaknesses against me. "I praise you for your outstanding mindset of inquiring thoroughly like the genius you are, but let's leave it at there for now. We both will have enough time to get to know each other much better at a later time, so let's get my master registered for this war first, shall we?" I say it with the sincerest tone I can manage, while being able to sound teasing at the same time. I lean closer to her, still beaming brightly.  
I could see her mental defense visibly crumbling, and she turns into a blushing, stuttering mess.  
"A-a-alright then, M-Muramasa-kun."  
Yes! Shirou Muramasa wins against the vicious Rin Tousaka at last!  
I internally cheered, and let out a chuckle. I patted Shirou's back, snapping him out of whatever trance he was in. "Alright Shirou, time to get up."  
"Huh?" was the intelligent answer I got from my master.  
"Shirou, we're going to the church to get you signed up for this war. I'd rather not, but you know, we have rules to follow and whatnot.  
He nods understandingly. Our eyes meet for a moment, and suddenly, a stab of nostalgia runs through my chest. Shirou Emiya will fight in this war no matter what, because it is in his very core, the will to fight for others. I'm suddenly reminded of my younger self by this familiar situation, and all the suffering he has to go through.  
-I'm reminded of the burning hell-  
-I'm reminded of the barren wasteland, filled with swords that look more like graves, with unmoving gears in the unforgiving sky-  
-I'm reminded of the death of the mutilated Saber, cause by these own two hands-  
-I'm reminded of the death of Illya-  
No. I won't let it happen. I will protect him, train him, and aid him on the path of becoming a champion of justice, the same impossible dream he desires more than anything. To become a true hero, and not live the empty life of a machine EMIYA has. I still see a bit of myself in those eyes. The fire, the pure naivety, and the desire to achieve the dream that Kiritsugu left him with. Those were the eyes of a survivor, one trying desperately to atone for his sins with burning conviction. I will take this pure ingot, and forge it into the finest sword to ever live. It will live to achieve great things, and leave a compassionate mark in this cruel world, as all heroes do.  
I smile at him. "Well, let us proceed, master. From this time forth, my sword shall be with you and your fate will be with me. Now, our contract is complete."

We walked under the night sky, on our way to Kotomine's church. While Rin and Shirou were both chatting amiably with each other, however, I had a big problem on my mind. Which was of course, Illya.  
She was scheduled to show up after Shirou gets registered with Berserker in tow. She will try to kill us, of course, but I need to try to clear the misunderstandings between us first.  
I will try to save her, obviously.  
While I was mulling over my plans to deal with Illya, Rin must have seen my deliberate expression.  
"Saber, what's the problem? Is something on your mind?" She really had an uncanny ability to read people.  
I try to give her my best smile. "No, Rin, I'm just thinking about some plans for this Grail War." She must have sensed my unwillingness to talk, so she doesn't inquire any further.  
Our group reached the church.  
I start my plan. "Okay, now that we're here, let's get you officially registered as a combatant for this war. Rin, you take Shirou to Kotomine. I have something to discuss with Archer.  
Archer merely raises an eyebrow, while Rin nods. I am thankful for her compliant response.  
"Let's go, Emiya-kun." She pushes the gate open, with Shirou trailing behind.  
The gate closes, and I am left alone with Archer.  
"Well, what could you possibly have to discuss with me, Muramasa?" Archer grumbles.  
"Illya." With that one-word reply, he immediately grows silent.  
The solemn silence continues for a minute, then I finally speak.  
"You know what's going to happen. I was just thinking about…how to save her." I look down at the ground. "I've seen how she dies, each and every possibility. Fate is cruel to her, and she has every right to hate the being 'Emiya Shirou'." I still remember the vile contempt in her voice. A voice that had called for her father, her mother, any kind of salvation from her harsh and hateful life. She had grown spiteful of her father who had abandoned her and her mother, and lived every day intent for revenge. My fist clenched. "I do know…That it is hopeless…" I raise my head, staring at the star-filled night sky. "But still…I want to see her truly happy…I want to truly save her."  
Archer and I lock eyes, I can see that he agrees with me. I can see some of his lost humanity rekindled, and his compassion returned. We both nod in mutual understanding, and I tell him the plan.

"Berserker~ We're nearly there~" I giggled childishly. It was a giddy excitement, finally getting the chance to meet my adopted brother again, and kill him for his sins. "Onii-chan~ we will have lots of fun together, hehe." Berserker grunts in reaction to my heightened mood. We both near the church my treacherous onii-chan is at, and I feel a sense of foreboding. A red blur appears from nowhere, stopping just in front of us, blocking our way to the church.  
The man in red looks at me, and I instantly recognize him. His face is the same as my dear brother, but this man is…different. His form is undeniably one of a servant's, and he has an aura of immense power surrounding him, a clear sign that this being in front of me is indeed a servant. But then, he does something unimaginable.  
"Illya!"  
He shouts my name in clear recognition, sounding incredibly relived. His face shows a variety of emotions, happiness, relief, nostalgia, and euphoria.  
I don't understand. This servant shouldn't know who I am, and my nickname at that. He shouldn't be happy by seeing my face. He should be terrified for his life by the presence of my incredible berserker beside me. His reaction toward me is just simply illogical. I don't understand.  
"Who…are you?" I sound unsure even to my own ears.  
The red man gently smiles. "Illya, I am you adopted younger brother, summoned from the future as a heroic spirit. Pleased to meet you."  
I feel anger bubbling inside me. So, my Onii-chan became a heroic spirit, huh. He had the attention of papa all by himself, after all. He left me all alone, all this time, and still became a heroic spirit. He had the guts to mock me in front of my face while smiling!  
"Berserker…KILL HIM!" I shout with all my might. Berserker heeds my call, feeling my rage and barrels toward the insolent servant in front of him, his giant sword raised high up to cleave the servant in half.  
Panic flashes across Onii-chan's face. Yes. That's what I want to see. The look of horrified anguish, just before he dies a painful death. He pulls out a feeble, thin, fragile-looking katana, to block the mountain of a sword my Heracles swung. I laugh at the pitiful attempt…  
And Berserker's sword gets cleanly cut in two.  
"Damn it, Illya! I didn't want to do this! I don't want to fight you Illya, so just listen-"  
"Berserker…rip his head off with your bare hands." I don't want to listen to whatever pitiful excuses he has for me. I don't want to listen to him only to get betrayed just like how father abandoned me. I will not.  
Berserker roars. He throws away the remainder of his swords and charges at Onii-chan with the force of a natural disaster.

Heracles looms over me like the bringer of death itself. His dark form storms toward me, mismatched eyes glinting in the darkness. Illya doesn't look like she will change her mind easily, so I have to hold berserker off without completely killing him, since Illya needs some form of protection in the war. I tried not to destroy Heracles's weapon, but it was a futile effort. My katana, the Juuchi Yosamu was too demonically sharp to deal with once I unleashed the curse. I couldn't completely conceal it, since it needs taste blood in order to return to its sheath. My katana was still in its raging state ever since I fought with Lancer.  
I mentally chuckled to myself. How insane had I become, trying to hold back against Heracles of all things? Right now, however, I need to kill it several times to stall for time. I need to convince Illya that I am not the enemy, but she's in a frenzy right now. She needs time to cool her head.  
I tighten my grip on my bloodthirsty katana, fully unleashing the curse. It is submerged in a malevolent, dark-magenta aura, now sharp enough to cut through almost every existing tangible thing on earth. I set the soles of my feet firmly against the earth. As soon as berserker was close enough to strike-  
The Sword of Absolute Edge…Juuchi Yosamu10000 Cold Nights  
I swung the sword in a perfectly horizontal slash, slicing the mad warrior in halves. The giant falls, and my katana is quenched with blood. I immediately sheathe my blade and jump back. "Illya, please! Just listen to me for a minute!" I yell longingly, while mentally firing the trigger for a heavy use of Projection magecraft.  
"I'm not finished yet! My berserker is the strongest in the world!" She stubbornly insists with a childishly (read: psychotically) smiling face, and I see her berserker had already regenerated.  
ROOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!  
He lets out an ear-shattering war cry, and barrels toward me like a beast from hell.  
I step onto the ground. The forest is silent. There's about thirty meters to the black giant. It'll take him less than three seconds to cross this distance.  
-Therefore.  
The outcome of this battle will be decided in the next three seconds.  
I hold my breath and pour my magical energy into my left arm.  
I take a deep breath. "Trace, on."  
I stare at it. I see through his giant sword. I open my left hand and grasp the imaginary handle of the weapon that has yet to exist.  
An extraordinary weight appears on my left arm. I hold my left arm up and support it with my right. I feel my magical circuits run smoothly across my body.  
-One second.  
Berserker is focusing all of his hostility and maddened rage at me. It makes quite an impressive and frightening sight, but it cannot hold a candle to what I've seen. His blackened and corrupted self had been much more intimidating than this.  
However, the running giant will not stop with one slash. I will give it my undivided attention to killing him for certain. Nine in my head. I use all twenty-seven Magic Circuits in my head and smash it in one blow-  
-Two seconds.  
Upper arm, collarbone, windpipe, temple, diaphragm, rib, groin, and thigh. I take aim at the eight targets.  
"Set-Nine Lives Blade Works"  
I surpass the crashing speed of sound using Godspeed-!  
The massive sword rips through his body in eight consecutive devastating blows. I raise the sword up to his chest and thrust it like a lance to deal the finishing blow.  
Berserker's body explodes. Illya is silent with shock. I killed berserker Heracles nine times with one attack, and while she couldn't see it, she could sense it. I think it was enough. "Illya. As I already said, I don't want to hurt you." I get on my knees and hold my hands up in a surrendering stance. "Please, Let's talk it out. I truly just want to talk with you, to get to know you better, and tell you the truth about…about our dad." I could see her visibly shaking at the mention of Kiritsugu. "It doesn't have to be now if you are not ready for it, but…can you at least promise to listen at a later time, whenever you are ready?" I say in a longing and wistful tone. I close my eyes, waiting for her answer.  
"…Okay." Says a small voice.  
"What…?" I begin to feel tiny spark of optimism. Hoping against hope that she really said-  
"I said okay, onii-chan. I'll come to you when I'm ready…" Speaks out a small, but wonderful voice.  
"…." I stare for a moment at her, unable to believe my luck could be so good. It is a precious moment, where time stands still. The start of a -formerly- hopeless rescue mission.  
"Come, berserker, we're leaving!" Illya turns around in a huff and leaves, leaving me all alone in the forest.  
"Saber! What were you thinking, you idiot!" Almost alone.  
I turn around to see an angry Rin, dragging Shirou and Archer in tow with each arm. I glanced at Archer. "I thought you agreed to stall them." He laughs dejectedly. "You try stalling a panicked and worried Rin searching for her new crush." Archer quips, and Rin's face turns into a furious shade of red. Me and Archer grinned at each other, having found a shared hobby: teasing Rin. Rin eventually agreed to getting some rest for now, after I fended of her barrage of questions. We returned to our respective homes, while arranging a meeting for tomorrow. I bid Shirou a goodnight, and slept in the guest room Shirou had prepared.  
That was how the first night of the 5th Holy grail war came to a close.  
Next chapter preview:  
"Se-senpai?"  
"Shirou, I'm going to seriously ask you, which girl do you like?"  
"E-Emiya, what do you think you're-"


	3. The plans unfold

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the fate franchise.   
Shirou POV  
My awakening is dark. Perhaps I don't dream much, but unless something really special happens, I always seem to have the same dream.  
What I imagine are swords. I don't know why it is, but this is the only thing that comes into my mind. There is no meaning or reason to it. It may just be one of the aspects that making up Emiya Shirou. But this time, It's a landscape I had never seen before.  
The fiery sky above, An infinite number of swords at my feet. This world is inorganic, and there are no living things.  
The ashen wind courses through the forest of swords. The swords stand like trees in a forest. It's not just ten or twenty, not a hundred or two hundred, no matter how far I look, I see swords stabbed in the earth as far as I can see. The tools are rusting without anybody to use them. It's a ruin of infinite swords. A swordsmith looks at them, and he thinks that...It's like a graveyard.  
'…?!'  
I suddenly find myself in that hell again. I'm in an inferno. Collapsing buildings and burning people. No matter how far I run, the scenery is always red. This is a vision of ten years ago. A memory of a distant past I haven't remembered in a while. There's no escape even though I know that it's only a dream. I hear the screams of agony around me, smell the putrid smoke from the hellish flames, and see a familiar black-dressed man searching the rubble with frantic desperation.  
Wait.  
Something wasn't right.  
I become aware that I am seeing this in a third-person point of view. I mind is in disarray, until I see myself standing a few feet away. I see him contemplate the scene before us with a difficult expression, seemingly unperturbed by my presence. He starts toward the disaster zone, and before I could call out to him-  
"Hey, that's hell you're walking into."  
I turned around to see the owner of the strangely familiar voice. I could only see the faint outline of his figure, but he looked remarkably like Tousaka's servant, Archer. Before he could say more, my dreamscape changes violently.  
The world crumbles apart. My mind is blown apart.  
White. All I can see is white.  
Blowing despair. A strong wind that's going faster than a hundred meters per second. A fierce wind that doesn't allow the existence of living things, let alone allow one to stand up. Therefore, it is not a wind. It's steel, and my body's crushed by the pressure.  
My eyeballs are squashed. My back sinks into the wall. I can't lift my hand or fingers. My blood flows backwards. My mind is bleached white. There's no pain. Feeling pain and enduring it are too human-like to happen here.  
I'm melting. I can't even groan in protest. There's nothing. I have no way to fight it off. I have to move forward, but I can't move a finger. I'm melting into whiteness. My body and mind impassively crumble apart. Go forward. Why am I here? Keep going forward. For what am I here? Go to the other side. Why am I fighting? Pass through the wind and move forward.  
I'm disappearing. My body lost already, but I clench my teeth, not letting my mind lose…but my mind is disappearing as well.  
I won't make it. I can't move, no matter how hard I try. I can't stay, no matter how determined I am. I try to clench my right fist with my whole existence on the line. If I can, I'll be able to hang in here. If I can move any part of my body, I can use that to move forward.  
I can't move a finger, let alone make a fist. My left eyeball is crushed. The rush of the wind ruptures my eardrums. My vision fades away. Within it…  
I see an unbelievable image.  
He's standing. He's standing in this wind. He's standing, walking to the other side-as if it's a matter of course. The wind of steel has no effect on him. He walks forward, his red coat billowing behind him.  
Strength is back in my jaws. I grit my teeth. My right hand is already in a fist.  
The red knight takes no notice of me. Set in a stern expression, his face is slightly turned away, showing no interest in me as the wind rushes to engulf me.  
For him, this result was expected. Emiya Shirou cannot stand against this wind. He knew there's no future for the man who betrayed himself and wished for something out of this reach.  
He's right. The crimes I've accumulated will judge me. But he…  
"Can you keep up with me?"  
As if to scorn me, as if to believe in me. He's waiting for me to get there.  
"-It's not 'can you keep up with me.'"  
My vision fires up. I force as much heat as I can into my body. My limbs cut through the wind like giant swords.  
"You keep up with me-!"  
I pass the red figure with all my might.  
"Gah!" I frantically sit up on my futon. At least, attempted to. I realize there was a pair of arms on my chest, glowing with magic circuits.  
"Bad dream, Shirou?" My eyes adjust to the dark to meet with a familiar face-my own. I am briefly reminisced of the events of last night, and look at him in bewilderment. "What are you doing in my room, Saber?"  
He removes his hands from my chest. "Well, I was just checking over a few things and fixing up your magic circuits to top shape. Try using it now, and don't exert yourself too much. It's only a test drive." I'm suddenly aware of my body's condition. I feel like I have a fever, my body's heated up and it hurts to move. But the heat does not feel unpleasant at all. The sensation is more akin to pent up energy coursing throughout each pore of my body to the point of overheating. My body is buzzing with mana, and I check my circuits for any problems.  
Only to find nothing.  
I panic and quickly try to create a circuit to access my nerves. "Trace, o-"  
"Wait!" My servant puts a hand to my mouth, effectively silencing me. "Don't try to make a physical circuit, try to access your original circuits. Here, I'll help you. When I say the word, try to flood your body with mana spontaneously. Concentrate on your innate magical energy's output." He puts his hand on my chest. Glowing lines appear at his neck and waist, illuminating the dark room.  
"Trace, on."  
I instantly feel like a gate has opened in my mind. A torrent of magical energy rushes down circuits I never knew I had. My nervous system gets used to the new intake of energy. It feels refreshing, like a clear stream of water rushing down a rusty pipe. My mind is clear; my mana feels more natural for me to use. Green energy blazes across my entire body.  
"…Whoa, what…is this?" I wonder. To me, magecraft had always been a grueling, dangerous feat to execute. I needed to create a new Magic Circuit with each use of Magecraft, and endure feeling akin to inserting a hot iron rod into my spine. But now, mana was flowing throughout my body and mind. It was so overwhelming, to the point it felt like I was a computer overheating because of too much input.  
"Here, try strengthening this pipe." Saber handed me a metal rod, which was probably from my shed. I firmly grip it with one hand and close my eyes.  
Judging the concept of creation  
Hypothesizing the basic structure  
Duplicating the composition material  
Imitating the skill of its making  
Sympathizing with the experience of its growth  
Reproducing the accumulated years  
Excelling every manufacturing process  
I open my eyes to see a fully reinforced pipe. It hardly cost any effort, and the entire tracing process had become more fluid as well.  
"Nice job, Shirou. Your body is coping with the original circuits far better than I expected. You're going to be up and running in no time." Saber chuckled at the last part as if it was an inside joke.  
"What do you mea-AARG!" As I attempted to sit up, my arms gave out from the massive pain that followed. I then realized my body was aching all over.  
"What's…going on…Saber?" I heaved.  
"Your body has twenty-seven natural Magic Circuits, but they had been abandoned for your nerves, which you made into makeshift Magic Circuits due to your wrong method of training. Your nervous system is getting mutilated due to the new intake of mana." He explained. "But don't worry though, it's only temporary. I think."  
That uncertainty didn't really ease me.  
"But…I have school…today." I managed to choke out a few words, while he looked at me with an exasperated expression.  
"Shirou, didn't you see the crazy-ass lancer and the mountain of muscle rampaging around town yesterday? Those kinds of monstrous beings are going to be out for your blood today. Also, the other masters are cold-blooded killers, and they won't show mercy to you like Tousaka did." He looked me dead in the eyes. "I'm going to train you until you're ready to fight those kinds of monsters, and for you to protect the ones you love. You can't be a hero of justice the way you are now." Those final words hit me hard. He was a future version of me, so of course, he knew my ideals. He knew what I wanted to do, what I desperately wanted to achieve.  
'When I was young, I wanted to be a hero of justice.'  
I still remember Kiritsugu's last words to me. The words he uttered under the bright, full moon.  
'Thank...Thank God! Y-you saved me!"  
I still remember the look of happiness in his eyes. That was it. I was the boy being saved, but he was the man who received salvation. I remember that face. He had tears in his eyes from finding someone alive. A man who was happy from the bottom of his heart. He looked so happy, that it seemed like it was him, not me, who had been saved. And then…even though I was on the brink of death, the man was so grateful that it made me jealous. "Thank you", he said. He said he was glad to have found someone, and that by saving even one person, he had saved himself.  
I always wondered…  
Could I ever be that happy?  
I knew what I had to do. My summoning of Saber couldn't all have been chance; I have to take this opportunity. I sat up with my teeth clenched, using all my will power not to lose strength in my arms. I gained a look of steely resolution and stared back into his eyes. I reach my hand out while ignoring the excruciating pain, offering a handshake.  
"I'm ready when you are, Saber."  
He grinned as he took my outstretched hand and hauled me up.  
"All right then, Shirou."

It was 5AM, 3 hours since I and Saber started training. I could feel the morning dew on the grass with my bare feet, and I saw the brink of a sunrise at the horizon. I was at the backyard of my estate, undergoing the horrendous 'training' Saber had me go through.  
It was still taking all my effort not to collapse face-first onto the ground, but I managed to stay steady on my feet.  
Saber had explained the basics of common magecraft and taught me the correct usage of mana. After the crash course in 'Magecraft 101', He decided to teach me some of his craft. "First and foremost, you need to acquire a defensive armament that can shield you from enemy attacks." Saber said. Then he muttered something that sounded like 'Avalon' and 'Artoria' to himself. "Anyway, since you won't have super-healing powers in case you get severely injured, this will be your most important ace-in-the-hole. This conceptual weapon is named the Rho Aias."  
He had proceeded to conjure a luminescent shield made with seven flower petals of light. It was blinding, and nothing I could do could penetrate it. He explained the mechanics of the Rho Aias: 'It is necessary for its user to provide constant magical energy to form the shield, and if it is damaged, they will feel pain and receive damage in accordance'. Then he suddenly asked an outrageous request.  
"Now Shirou, try to trace this shield."  
I was dumbfounded at first, but he explained to me that tracing is much more complex than ordinary projection magecraft. He clarified the kind of magecraft only I could do and taught me how to properly trace something.  
After his lesson, I was forced to analyze the flower-petal shield and trace it again and again. At first, I could only gather a hazy image of the shield. The first ten tries or so only resulted in me stuttering the aria and a flicker of pink emerging from my outstretched hand, leaving me completely exhausted even with Saber's guidance. But my structural analysis gradually became much more refined with each attempt, and my tracing skills improved exponentially as well. On my twenty-first try, I finally was able to invoke Rho Aias. Although it was imperfect with merely three petals, it was indeed the impenetrable shield. Saber had tested it out with his katana, but his strikes were completely deflected, until the fifth slash, at least. After its fourth rebound, Saber's blade glowed a faint tinge of red. As the blade made contact with my shield, I felt my entire body reverberate down to my bones, but thankfully Saber stopped the blade just short of shattering the first petal. I fell to my knees, groaning in pain.  
"You okay, Shirou?" Saber worriedly knelt beside me in concern. Seeing me nod an affirmative, he sighed in relief. "Well, that was quite good, but it needs to be better. It's not bad for your first lesson in tracing, though. You'll get it in no time." After his words of encouragement, we resumed our training.  
Now, after about two-hundred tries, I was able two successfully trace five petals at once, with both me and Saber being completely exhausted. Me from overexerting with all my tracing efforts, and Saber from replenishing my mana and helping with my mana usage.  
"Nice job, Shirou. I think this is as far as you can get with on-sight structural analysis. Your skills are almost on par with me after the war. Now, let's just do one more thing before we take a break." I found myself faced with the Rho AiasThe Seven Rings that Cover the Fiery Heavens (I had been able to recognize the characteristics of the shield after my one-hundredth trace) that Saber had traced with all of its seven petals complete.  
"Analyze it with skin contact, and you'll get a clearer visual imagery of the shield."  
I put my hand on the glowing shield.  
"Trace, on"  
I feel a cascade of information flow into my brain. My analyzing skills have indeed improved. I could now complete the seven steps of tracing flawlessly in less than a blink of an eye.  
"Done."  
He raised an eyebrow in surprise.  
"Already?"  
"Yup."  
He patted my back in acknowledgment. "You've improved, Shirou. You're going to go through some intense hardships, but I see the fire inside you that is willing to endure." He grinned at me knowingly. "Now, let's take a quick break! You have a kouhai to take care of after all…" He gained a forlorn look in his eyes while saying that, and I gained a look of realization. "Oh right, Sakura's coming!"  
I quickly went inside the house to check the time. It was still around 5:30am, so we had time to spare.  
"I think we can train for another hour or so. We're still good." I gestured him to continue the exercise, but he seemed to be out of it. Saber seemed to be lost in his own thoughts, with a contemplating look in his eyes. "Saber?" I waved a hand in front of his face. He flinched and looked at me sheepishly. "Ah…Sorry about that, Shirou. I think that's enough training for now, though." I tilted my head in confusion. "Why?"  
He scratched the back of his neck. "You're able to stand right now because I'm constantly reinforcing you with my mana, and it's not going to last long. If I stopped my flow of mana, you'll be out like a light." He sent a sympathizing look at me and shrugged. "You're in for a world of pain after this, Shirou."  
I would be more surprised, but I kind of saw this coming. As a guy who constantly worked out to stay fit, I knew that the first training regimen is always the one with the most retaliation. The body needs to adjust to the new input. It looks like it is the same with magic circuits.  
"So, what will you do after I'm out, Saber? Stay and watch over me?" I ask. "Hardly, there are so many things to fix around this city. You'd be surprised at all the fucked up shit going on around Fuyuki, Shirou. It really is too horrifying for one's mind to take in." I raise an eyebrow at that. "But don't worry, though. I will be the knight in shining armor to your rescue every time. I will be your guardian angel and take care of everything to make things less difficult for your sanity." He winked at me.  
I carefully take in his troubling words, but I choose to not question him and ponder over my decisions. "Then, what about me? This house isn't really safe; you know?" I imagine Lancer storming in here again to pierce my heart for the final time. Saber winks. "Don't worry about it. I reinforced Kiritsugu's bounded field around the mansion. Now that your circuits have started running, you'll get a shock strong enough to wake you up from your slumber if the presence of a servant is detected. If you wake up, use your command seal like Rin explained to you to call me forth."  
"Rin…?" I was confused for a moment, and realize he is talking about Tousaka. "Why do you call Tousaka by her first name, anyway?"  
Saber chuckles. "It slips out sometimes. Though, you have to wonder, what could have possibly happened for your future self to call her by her first name out of habit? You'll just have to think it out, cause I'm not giving you any advice on love." I could feel a blush forming on my face, much to my embarrassment. "The Grail War is going to be quite a ride, Shirou…" His joking demeanor slowly fades away. "Alright, before you get knocked out, I have one last important piece of advice for you." He puts his right hand on my navel, giving me no time to react.  
"If you can't defeat it, then imagine what can"  
As my consciousness unwillingly fades away, the last thing I see…  
Is a silver glint of a katana.

Muramasa POV  
I clicked my katana back into its sheath. I made sure that Shirou got a good look at my katana by unsheathing it by a few inches. His structural grasping should be good enough to make a decent trace of my sword. He will be able to defend himself with it if he's clever enough, and I believe in him.  
"Whew, looks like I have to get ready for Sakura I guess."  
Sakura.  
Just the mention of that plum-haired girl had shaken me to the core.  
That poor, poor girl.  
I originally had no idea of her condition even after the Holy Grail War had ended. I was spending my days studying abroad at the clocktower with Rin by my side, unknowingly neglecting Sakura, leaving her alone to fend by herself. I had just begun on my path as a true hero of justice to fulfill my dreams when I had a fateful encounter with Zelretch, the wizard marshal himself. At that time, I had thought that the only path for me was inevitably Archer's. As I was about to make the contract with Alaya, Zelretch appeared and chided me for such a foolish act. He said he had just the proposal for a Hero-wannabe like myself, and gave me an offer I couldn't refuse; the chance to be a vessel for a pseudo-servant in order to save the world. Or 'a' world, as Zelretch put it. Apparently, it was a parallel universe, but to me, it didn't matter as long as it was a method to become an Ally of Justice.  
I accepted immediately.  
Then Zelretch 'prepared' my body and (mostly) soul for the summoning, by making me the very embodiment of the being 'Emiya Shirou'. My soul had merged with countless other versions of myself, and I gained the memories of all the possibilities. It was a surreal experience, absorbing the recollections of parallel versions of myself, diverging with the slightest of choices. Most were insignificant and the versions overlapped, usually ending with my death. But there were four general possibilities that I had shared. A path which I had fallen in love with Saber, a path that I had already walked, a path which I had fallen for Sakura, and a path which I had become Archer.  
The path I took, Saber's route, and Archer's path were quite similar in terms of the Grail War, but Sakura's route was particularly dark and horrific. That Grail War was a gruesome event, revealing many abominable secrets I haven't discovered in any of the other paths. I discovered Sakura's and Illyasviel's condition, Zouken's true form, and Heaven's feel. The Shadow of the Black grail, which was Sakura, had abolished the Grail War, steering it to an entirely different path.  
In that Grail War, I had betrayed the ideal to become an Ally of Justice for Sakura. I still have mixed feelings about that. Even Archer had told me that following my ideal was better than abandoning it, saying that there is no future for the man who abolished his convictions. Indeed, I had lost everything. My body, my mind, my life…  
And Illya.  
In that possibility, I had actually died. But Illyasviel had put on the dress of heaven and used the third magic to save my soul. She became one with the Grail and sacrificed herself for a step-brother that had taken everything from her.  
'Don't go Illya, I promised that we'd live together to make up for all the time you've spent alone.'  
Illya had supported me, guided me, and comforted me in my times of need, even though she barely knew me. I was her nemesis, her enemy both personally and generally, but she had helped me nonetheless.  
She smiled one last goodbye and closed the gate of the Great Holy Grail.  
I will not tolerate another tragic ending like that. I believe this is a second chance to make things right. I will save everyone, and leave a good path for the current version of Emiya Shirou to follow.  
I looked down at the unconscious body of Emiya Shirou, lifted him up, and lugged him over one of my shoulders like a sack of potatoes. I carried the sleeping boy to his room and laid him down on the futon.  
"Whew, it's time to get ready I guess."  
I smirked and went to the shed, smiling fondly at the memories of the place. I remembered how Sakura used to wake me up in my shed after I overworked myself. I prepared to greet her by promptly slumping on the ground, pretending to sleep.  
Sure enough, I heard the front gate opening footsteps approaching.  
Through my closed eyes, I heard a painfully familiar voice I had longed for.  
"Senpai?"  
I really wanted to open my eyes right then, but I kept my eyes closed.  
"Mmn, Sakura…" I mumbled out, making a grasping motion with both of my hands. As I outstretched my arms upwards, I feel my hands come to contact with a face.  
Ah, as usual, she's in kneeling in a seiza position and bending downwards to look at my face closely.  
I internally smile, while slowly pulling the face downwards.  
"A-ah, Se-Senpai?!"  
I hear her sputter out an embarrassed squeal, and I knew I achieved my goal. When I feel her soft, delicate hair tickling my face, I eventually open my eyes, determined to keep a straight poker-face.  
I come to see a madly blushing Sakura right in front of my eyes, adorably stuttering out incomprehensive sentences. Her fair, smooth skin was tinged with deep magenta. She was breathing heavily, and she had closed her eyes shut while pouting, almost as if expecting...something.  
Aww, she is so damn adorable!  
"Oh…good morning. Sakura." I speak out in a cheerful tone, making her flinch and open her eyes. I smile my most radiant smile at her, making her blush even more deeply as a result.  
"E-Ex-Excuse me!" She apologized while running out of the shed, leaving smoke behind her trail. I broke into a laughing fit as soon as she left, amused by her response.  
It's been too long since I've seen that cute blush! What a way to start the day!  
I headed toward the kitchen in high spirits. I silently approached Sakura until I was right behind her. I tried to restrain my actions, but I just couldn't resist.  
"Is something wrong, Sakura? Your face is heating up." I asked using the sincerest tone that I could manage, giving off an aura of concern.  
"I-It's nothing, sen-" I interrupted her words by putting my forehead in contact with Sakura's. It was a trick I had used with Rin some time ago, and it was a surefire way to embarrass girls. I gently pulled myself away from her to see her reaction.  
She was staring wide-eyed at space with a dazed look on her face, with a face blushing so hard that it reminded me of Illya's eyes. She was mumbling unintelligible sentences under her breath, and her legs were wobbling. She lost her balance and stumbled backwards.  
I caught her instantly with my inhuman reflexes, holding her in a princess carry while kneeling with one of my knees. She seemed to snap out of it immediately-  
"You should be more careful, Sakura."  
Only to seemingly pass out upon realizing out positions together, while letting out a cute little squeak.  
I grinned at myself for my success. It was all according to the plan. Sakura's reaction was a little extreme though…But it was so precious!  
Man, being dense and acting dense is so different. Now I can see why Archer teases Rin.  
I carefully set Sakura down next to the dining table. Then I continued to prepare breakfast by myself. As I was about to finish setting up the table, I could hear the roaring of the tiger of Fuyuki at my front gate.  
"SHIROU! I'm hungry! Did you make breakfast yet?" She hollered out. I felt comforted by the normal household events that were occurring around me. It was so nostalgic, as it reminded me of my days as a teenager. "Coming right up, Fuji-nee!" I yelled back. As I set up the utensils, Fuji-nee decided to barge in like normal. She suddenly stood still. "Shirou…Why is Sakura-chan lying unconscious on the floor?" She suspiciously looked at my way with an ominous gaze. "You didn't do anything to her, did you?"  
I sweatdropped. 'No, I didn't Fujii-nee. You know me better than that." I kept up a poker-face while sweating nervously on the inside. "Well, I was just teasing you Shirou~. But anyhow, did something happen?" She curiously asked, while pointing a finger on her cheek.  
Sakura stirred, disturbed by all the ruckus going around. She proceeded to look up directly to my face. "Senpai…" She weakly let out a faint moan. I reached out to gently caress her soft face. Then I proceeded to help her get into an upright position. "Are you alright, Sakura?" I tenderly asked.  
"Y-yes, senpai. I'm sorry for causing a scene." She seemed more emotionally stable now. I showed a warm smile, soothed by being in my own home with Sakura and Fuji-nee by my side. It had seemed like ages since I had breakfast with my family. I had never learned how cherishable these memories were before it was already too late. It was when I had lost everything that I finally realized that the ordinary, mundane parts of life are the parts you hold dear to.  
When I merged with the spirit of Sengo Muramasa, I was instantly overwhelmed by the intensity of the soul. The sensation was akin to using Archer's arm, but the essence was foreign that time, and my mind had nearly shattered by the sheer pressure that Muramasa's soul emanated. It held an ancient legend and therefore his soul was much more powerful than mine. I tried to control the power, but it was like trying to stop a tsunami with a sheet of paper. My very essence was almost annihilated, Unlimited Blade Works had faded, and I couldn't remember how to feel pain, much less make a coherent thought. The pain of using Archer's arm was nothing compared to this. But then...  
"I'll be waiting for you, Senpai," I remembered Sakura's teary eyes.  
"Emiya-kun, I'll come with you, wherever you go." The brunette tsundere's wistful declaration.  
"Shirou, I...love you..." Saber's serene, tranquil farewell.  
It had reminded me of my identity. Those three had made an impression on my very soul, shaping me into the man I was. I was broken out of my stupor with just enough time to take refuge in my reality marble.  
I had only then become aware of everything I had lost by choosing this path.  
My soul was not just empty anymore. Indeed, my life needed no meaning, but I hadn't realized that I already had a valuable meaning to my life, just by being alive. My life may have not required any meaning other than my ideals, but it did have significance to my loved ones. I had known that I was already selfish by choosing the path of an ally of justice, but I was egotistical by only being engrossed in my point of view. Before I knew it, I was seriously questioning my ideals for the first time since I had become cognizant about Sakura's love.  
"Senpai?" See, I was still daydreaming about Sakura...  
Or not.  
My internal rhetoric was interrupted by the present Sakura in front of me. "Senpai, are you all right? You had a dazed expression on your face."  
Ah, my bad. "Y-yeah, Sakura. I'm perfectly fine. Sorry for worrying you, though." I quickly focus on my breakfast, basking in the sentimental happiness once more. My family was contently chatting around the table, simply enjoying each other's company. I had to protect these smiles. I will teach Emiya Shirou everything I know, confront his ideals, and leave a better world for him to live on.  
Hmmph, I'm getting too emotional just by a simple breakfast. How ridiculous of me.

I finished cleaning the breakfast table. As I was about to head out, I heard something crash down the hallway. I quickly ran to the front gate to see if everything was fine, but...  
"Owwww..." It was just Sakura, she had seemed to bang her head pretty hard against the door.  
"You okay, Sakura?" I quickly checked if she was alright. She nodded an affirmative, claiming she was just a little dizzy. We headed to school together, conversing in our usual chatter. As we arrived at our school, Sakura and I parted ways. I began to make my way up the stairs.  
Oh, if it isn't my favorite tsundere. Target sighted.  
"Yo, Rin." I waved at her while she was calmly conversing with her friends. She noticed me coolly walking up to her, acting naturally as if we were the closest of friends. "I've got something to say to you, in private, if it's not much of a bother for you," I say while looking down at the ground and ruffling my hair, feigning embarrassment. Suddenly, I feel a tug on my sleeve.  
"What are you saying in public, you idiot! You're bound to raise suspicion and misunderstandings if you say that in school!" I hear rapid-fire whispering, and I don't even need to look up to confirm that I had achieved my objective.  
Mission accomplished.  
I tilt my head upwards to come face-to-face with a flustered Rin. God, I loved that face. "But Tohsaka, there is no possible Masters inside your jurisdiction as the second magus owner of Fuyuki that you aren't aware of, right? Besides, I think we have to discuss our standings as cooperating Masters. I mean, we're more than just acquaintances now, so I think we should get to know each other a bit more." Rin had regained her composure a bit, albeit blushing a bit at my last statement. "Very well, Emiya-kun. Shall we meet up at the rooftop at lunch?" "Actually, I would prefer our rendezvous at the east gate hallway, after school hours if you don't mind." I knew it was an odd request to make, but I had my own plans. "All right, then. I shall change my schedule accordingly." I gave a curt nod and left Rin with a bewildered crowd, surely shocked by the fake janitor talking with the school idol so naturally.

The bell rung, signaling the end of school hours. I quickly packed my belongings and headed to the hallway where I had once had a life-or-death battle with Rin. It certainly brought back disturbing memories. I mentally went over my plan thoroughly, racking my brain for recollections of this day. As I was contemplating, I heard footsteps approaching.  
I noticed Rin walking down the staircase. "Hey, Tousaka." I greeted coolly.  
Tohsaka fell into step alongside me. "Good day, Emiya-kun. What did you want to discuss with me?" I engaged in my plan. "I just wanted some confirmation about a few pieces of information I obtained." She looked at me inquisitively. "What kind of information, Emiya-kun?" "Well, Saber told me some of the basics that I was going to need for the War. He didn't tell me all the details though."  
Tousaka sighed. "Well, I thought it was pretty obvious that he was aiming for something other than winning this war. In fact, I think he could have won this entire war in a day if he wanted to. I mean, he already has experienced this war once, and he has all the intel about the masters and the servants. Combine that with the Saber-servants' stats, I think you already had this War in the bag." Tousaka was getting agitated. "I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, but I don't understand your servant's intentions." She finished, and she looked at me from the side, expecting an explanation. Time for some acting. "Alright then, let's compare notes. As far as I know, Saber is the future version of myself. He seemed to remember everything about me and this Grail War. As for why he teamed up with you..." I gave her a sideways glance. "Saber is me, and I can't really imagine myself becoming enemies with you. I don't hurt innocent people for no reason. Also, he said something about a...mana transfer or something." Bingo. Tousaka's face instantly turned into a flaming shade of scarlet. "Wh-what the hell are you insinuating! There's no way we would do that kind of-I-I mean I can't-We can't-" She stopped for a moment to catch her breath. I kept my innocent demeanor, but internally I was desperately trying not to roll on the floor raging with laughter.  
I could feel euphoria. Shirou Muramasa's second victory against the Average one!  
"Huh? What's wrong, Tousaka? Was it something I said?" Ah, even I was impressed by my smooth acting prowess. "Of course something's wrong you idiot! How could you stay calm knowing that we had-ugh, what are you making me say, you idiot!" Ah, the 'you idiot' phrase. I honestly missed this part of Rin. Her 'tsun' side was honestly as cute as hell. Of course, her 'dere' side was even cuter, but it didn't have the same nostalgic feeling. "Wait, I'm seriously confused. What are *you* talking about, Tousaka? I don't know what *you* are currently insinuating. I already said I didn't understand what Saber said." As I fabricated genuine confusion, Tousaka started to calm down, her calm manner returning. "Are you saying that you don't know what a mana transfer is, Emiya-kun?" I nodded. "Right, I forgot that you were an inept 3rd-rate magus with no practical training. I apologize for losing my head at an important meeting such as this." Her icy words didn't sting, because I knew there was no malice behind those words. It was just who she was, always a cut above the rest. As a prodigy, she had looked down at people ever since she was young.  
As a wise man once said, tsunderes are not bitches, they're just misunderstood.  
"Apology accepted. That being said, there are two points I want to talk about." "And what are those two points?" Tousaka probed. "First, for our cooperation, I will disclose information about the other Masters, and we will work together to confront them. *But* I will not tolerate needless violence. Killing is a last resort." She nodded. "I agree with you on that. And the second?" "I...would like for you to train me as a magus." I muttered out while bowing my head. Of course, Tousaka looked extremely aggravated. "Wait...Before you give me an answer, I only meant for you to teach me the basics of Thaumaturgy. My late father didn't give me a thorough education, so the only magecraft I know are Reinforcement, Projection, and Alteration. I only want you to instruct me on my limited knowledge." Rin now looked less aggrieved but agitated nonetheless. "You are asking a great deal out of me, Emiya-kun. To magi, knowledge is more important than their family member's lives. Most magi would *kill* just for knowledge." Ah, she took the bait. I slowly looked up. "But, forgive me for asking, do you share that sentiment with those magi?" I questioned with a low voice. "Are you the same kind of person as they are?" I knew Rin had a kind heart at the core. She was never a stereotype mage, no matter how gifted she was.  
"I...I'm..." As Rin was about to answer, a shrill scream pierced the air.  
Oh, goddammit, I thought there was more time before Rider attacked!  
I immediately ran down the hall (at human speed, of course) and found an unconscious Ayako lying on the ground, her mana almost depleted.  
Oh yeah, I was reminded of another thing to do on my bucket list. Punch Shinji in the face again, but with a tad more force than the time when I was a human (yeah right).  
As I inspected Ayako's unmoving body, Rin caught up to me.  
"Oh god, this looks like the work of a Servant! Emiya-kun, we should leave immediately-" I noticed an invisible nail-dagger headed straight for Rin's head. I quickly reinforced my sleeve and blocked the blow.  
Sparks flew as the deadly projectile was deflected with the strengthened cloth.  
"You owe me now, Tousaka. Heal Mitsuzuri of the mana-deprivation for me, okay?" I flashed a grin and ran off to the direction of the Servant, heedless of a shocked Rin's pleas to stop.

I came up to the clearing where Rider was waiting in spiritual form. I could sense Shinji a few yards away, running away like the bitch-ass coward he was. I silently waited for something to happen, arms at ready.  
Soon enough, Rider rocketed toward me with chain-daggers posed to strike in an X-cross.  
Too slow.  
She was suffering from Shinji's lack of mana, so she was too easy for my eyes to track, even without reinforcement. I evaded her tackle, grabbed her right arm and roundhouse kicked her in her gut, knocking her into a tree in one swift motion. I could barely hear Shinji's startled grunt from a distance.  
As the dust cleared, Rider struck out once again, wielding her chains with wide and swift swings in an attempt to restrain me. I simply broke free from the bind instead of evading it, throwing her off balance. She recovered by using that momentum to swing both of her daggers, only to have both her forearms restrained by my iron vice grip.  
"You...you are clearly not a Master, aren't you?" She inquired, her voice strained as I was applying more pressure to my grip, making my superiority clear. "No, I'm not. And I didn't come here for unnecessary conflict caused by your ignorant master." She attempted to drop an ax-kick on my head while doing a backflip, but I swung her backwards over my head with my A-rank strength and also imitated the flip, effectively pinning her to the ground. "I came here to discuss something with you. Now, I'm going to get up, and you're going to have a mock battle with me if you want to hear me out. If you don't, then return to your fake Master to strategize." I released my grip and jumped back. Rider immediately sprung to action. She initiated a rapid flurry of kicks and jabs, but I could tell that they lacked the killing intent they had before. We exchanged blows while talking. "So, how did you know about the condition of my master?" "Shinji isn't fit to become a master, in more ways than one. The only capable magus in the Matous is Sakura, so he must be acting the part of the master with a mystic code." I already knew everything because I've experienced it, but I settled for the shorter explanation. "You must be incredibly weakened right now, isn't that correct?" Rider gave a faint nod. "You are indeed accurate. but then, why don't you just end me now? You have a convenient chance to kill off one servant in this war. What is your ulterior motive?" I caught an incoming punch to the face. "Because if you are gone, who will protect Sakura?" I looked at her in the eye (or rather, eye cover) and pinned her against the tree. "Listen. I like Sakura. I don't want her to get hurt. You should probably already know about the dangers she is facing right now. Spend a lot of time with her, and you'll come to like her too, I'm sure of it." I could hear Rin running towards our location. "Listen, I'm almost out of time. I'll just cut it short. I'm going to break your contract will Shinji and reconcile you with Sakura. In return, I want you to protect Sakura at all cost." Having said my piece, I kicked her out of the way and burst toward Shinji. I reinforced my legs to the limit and let pure, undistilled mana course through my body. I activated Mana Burst to dash at supersonic speed and appeared in front of Shinji with a rush of wind. He was clutching his book of the false attendant on his chest. He had a look of absolute terror on his face. "E-Emiya, What do you think you're-"  
"Hey Shinji, have you heard the news today?" I cut him off. "It was about an absolute *piece of trash* that raped his own sister. Can you believe it?" I kept my voice menacingly low, letting Shinji feel the extreme hatred I was feeling right now. "I think that the rapist must be put to death, am I right?"  
Trace, on.  
I traced Rule breaker. The jagged, iridescent dagger glinted in the sunlight. "You deserve this, Shinji." I raised the Noble Phantasm high up in the air.  
That moment, he made a pathetic whine and fainted. I sighed. I knew this sorry excuse for a human being would pass out at the slightest attempt at his own life. I nicked the book of the false attendant, reducing the mystic code into ashes. Rider materialized next to me, and I dispelled Rule breaker before she could see. I could sense that her contract with Sakura had already been redone.  
"Your physical capabilities are exceptional, yet you had the knowledge of a mage to break the spell that bound me. You were also informed about the situation within the Makiri household, and you had the courage to dispute with the affairs." Rider phrased the statement as if it was a question. "Right now, you are a mystery to me, but a mystery would rather not have as an enemy." She coolly stated without any emotion.  
I nodded, knowing that's the most cooperation I could ask for in the current situation. "I'm flattered by your high opinion of me. This humble servant wishes nothing more than just to be of assistance." I jokingly say.  
Amazingly, she gives a faint smile. "No, I am truly grateful that you have gotten me rid of that despicable master of mine. I shall heed your advice, and I hope we may work together in the future."  
Ah, she let out her gentle, caring side for me to see.  
I grinned. "Yeah, me too, Rider. Me too." Her eyes widened at the mention of her class. I silently materialized my katana for her to see, so that she knew of my class as well. She then noticed the red-dressed Master running toward us.  
"I shall take my leave then, Saber." She turned around and took off at an impressive speed, probably heading toward the Matou household. I dissipated my sword into mana and calmly picked Shinji up by the collar.  
I've been waiting for this.  
I decked Shinji in the face with enough force to shatter steel but distributed the force across his entire body to not make it fatal. It was an extremely satisfying experience. His body was smashed into a sizable tree, making it look like it was a work of a servant (which it was). While I was contemplating my actions. Rin ran up to me with her legs reinforced.  
"Why on Earth would you run off like that to confront a servant Emiya-kun? Do you even know how dangerous that was-oh..." She caught sight of Shinji. "Did the servant do this, Emiya-kun?" I lowered my head. "Yeah. Just the servant tried to kill me, Shinji was unfortunately at the wrong place at the wrong time. She tried to kill Shinji, and there was nothing I could do..." I lied with a straight face while completely losing my shit on the inside. It was all too amusing. "I don't think he's dead yet, at least."  
"I should call the ambulance right now. Anyway, did you think over my terms, Tousaka? Do you agree?" I questioned with a hopeful look while already knowing the answer. Tousaka sighed. "All right, Emiya-kun. Just know that I am doing an immeasurable service for you and you are in my debt now. Do you understand?" She flipped her hair to the side, letting out a small 'hmmph!' as she did so. "Of course, Tousaka. I would eternally be grateful for your help. I look forward to working together with you." I let out a sincere smile while offering my hand. Tousaka smirked and shook my hand. "Very well, Emiya-kun, let us cooperate until the very end of this Grail War." And so, we momentarily forgot about the blue-haired bastard in grave condition.

Tousaka agreed to meet up at night for a patrol, and we went our separate ways after that. While I was walking toward my house lost in thought, I saw a familiar face at the playground.  
"I-Illya?!" I yelled out in disbelief. It was simply too good to be true.  
"Hello, Onii-chan," Illya muttered out. She seemed to be fidgeting as if she was nervous. "Don't worry, Onii-chan. I'm not here to fight you as a master. I just came to take you up on your offer." She must have noticed my dumbfounded expression. But I already know that she is not here to fight. I'm just dumbfounded because she came to me earlier than I expected.  
"No, it's not that Illya. I'm just thankful that you're here to listen to me" I sigh with relief. Illya beckons me to sit on a bench along with her. "So, can you tell me 'the truth about Kiritsugu' first?" She initiates the conversation. "Well, I should have known you would have started with that. It's actually the most crucial point we have to discuss." I take a deep breath. "Kiritsugu, well, my first memory of him was him pulling me out of a burning hell. I was very grateful to him, and he was my savior and father since then. But later on, I discovered that he was the one that started the fire. He had just destroyed the Holy Grail, and the aftermath was a hellish inferno, which I was swept up in. He had betrayed the Einzberns by razing the Grail. So he was banished from Einzbern territory, therefore he wasn't able to come back to you. He started a new life here back in Japan, but he never stopped trying to see you again. He had always gone on long business trips frequently, and I realized that those 'trips' were all rescue missions. The rescue missions were always about traveling back to the old von Einzbern castle, trying to see his daughter. However, he never managed to find his way past the bounded fields, having lost most of his magecraft abilities." Illya threw me a questioning glance at that. "He was cursed by the Holy Grail when he dismantled it. You already know about the Grail's corruption, don't you?" Illya looked confused and frustrated. "I...I don't know what to say. I was always told...that he abandoned me. That he had betrayed the Einzberns out of his own selfishness and desires. What you're saying...is asking me to believe that my own family had lied to me about Kiritsugu. He had broken his promise to return, so I just assumed that he was a liar and traitor. But...you're telling me that it was all false?" She looked emotionally fragile, ready to break down. I tried to console her by embracing her with one arm. "Illya, the important thing is, that the Kiritsugu I knew never stopped trying to keep his promise to you. He was a broken man that tried to repent by destroying the grail and saving a boy but instead was cursed to never be free of regret until his death. Even so, he never gave up on trying to see you again. He tried and tried until his limbs were lame, his sight had failed, and most of his circuits had become useless. He was so desperate that he went to rescue you even when knowing that he will die within a week." Illya started sobbing on my chest. I knew that it was hard for her. She was treated harshly by the Einzberns in order to groom her into the next vessel for the grail. They had brainwashed her into hating Kiritsugu and fed her false lies. They had even thrown Illya into the wilderness with a pack of wolves to fend for herself. Illya had been brooding for this chance, the chance to get revenge on her father. She had been fueled with nothing but hatred of her father, but I here I was, telling her that it had all been lies. She must be feeling extreme guilt, sadness, and confusion.  
*This poor girl...*  
I had thought of her only as a homicidal psychopath out for my blood in my life, but after experiencing the knowledge of my alternate selves, I had realized that she was actually a hurting girl that just needed support. Now, I was determined to save her, as my father couldn't.  
"Illya, I understand that it is very hard for you right now. So if you want, we could always talk later, after you think things out..." She probably needed time to process the information and have some time for herself. After all, I just turned her world upside down. "Yeah, I think I need some time to talk to you again, Onii-chan." She sniffles and stands up to leave. "Oh, before that..." We both call out at the same time. I give a soft nod. "You first." She puts up a brave smile for me to see. "Can you tell me your name?" She asked. "Why, of course. My name is Shirou. Shirou Muramasa." I smiled. "Also, I wanted to give you something. Can you summon berserker here for me?" Illya gave me a curious glance, but she summoned berserker without any questions. Berserker materialized in front of me. "I apologize, great Heracles. I have destroyed your weapon in our last fight. As a peace offering, I forged a new sword for you to use." I brought forth Nine lives from my Unlimited Blade Works. "This is a sword I made, and It should be as good as the one I broke. I hope that you use this blade to protect your master the best you can." Berserker seemed to understand in spite of his mad enhancement. He took the stone blade from me and promptly dematerialized. Illya seemed to be in a happier mood now. "Thanks, Onii-chan. I'll come to see you again when I'm ready. You very caring about my emotions, and you seem to be a nice person, Shirou. I hope I'll see you again soon." With that farewell, she turned around and left. I looked over at her silhouette fading into the distance in melancholy, when suddenly...  
Come, Saber!  
I felt the activation of my master's command seal, teleporting me to his location.  
*Oh, great, shit's about to get real*  
I mentally prepared myself for the battle that's sure to ensue.  
Next chapter preview:  
"I may be a faliure, a failed version of you...but..."  
"My body is made of blades."  
"All my life, I have been aspirimg to be..."


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